Who was Antoni Gaudí?
You must have probably visited more than one of his recognized works. But who was Antoni Gaudi? Antoni Gaudí was a Catalan architect that has been internationally recognized and even considered a genius. If you are thinking of moving to Barcelona or visiting the city a couple of days for the first time, remember the name of this personality because you probably will be visiting La Sagrada Família, La Pedrera, Park Guell… Not only emblematic Gaudí buildings but also some of the most representations of the city’s identity.
Who was Antoni Guadi? 5 Curious facts about the architect
1. He didn’t use to draw his works on a paper before bringing them to life. He always designed 3D models including all details, this way the collaborators were able to see them the way Gaudí had imagined they would be in his head.
2. Antoni Gaudí reflected in all of his works his predilection for organic curves naturally produced by nature over flat lines created by humans.
3. He was vegetarian.
4. He never got married.
5. Gaudí was killed by a tram while he was on his way to church, which was located in Sant Felip Neri square.
5 iconic Gaudí buildings in Barcelona
La Pedrera o Casa Milà
You can notice the building from afar: many tourists on this corner are posing with La Pedrera as the background. But how does this building look on the inside? We wrote the article La Pedrera from the inside to give you an idea of what you will find behind the walls of this building. A beautiful journey that finally will lead you to meet the knights at the end of this tour. No need to say but, just in case: worth a visit.
La Sagrada Família
Probably the most iconic among Antoni Gaudí’s works. Even though we always recommend alternative places to visit during your journey in Barcelona, truth been told, you can’t leave the city without visiting this emblematic building.
Park Güell
Gaudi’s beautiful garden. Highly recommended to discover this place through a nice walk that will make you feel like you are a bit far from the crowded Passeig de Gràcia street (where La Pedrera and Casa Batlló are located). Art mixed with nature, from where you will get a 360° view of the city. For you to get an idea of this place before visiting, we wrote this article about Park Guell.
Casa Batlló
Just a 5 minute walk from La Pedrera you will meet another iconic work by Antoni Gaudí: Casa Batlló. While you are waiting in line to access the building, don’t forget to look up to observe its original and beautiful facade which is made of stone, iron forge, polychrome ceramics and “trencadís de vidre” (which is a technique that Antoni Gaudí loved to used, kind of a mosaic made by irregular pieces of ceramic, marble or glass).
Casa Vicens
Probably the least known on this list, but definitely another beautiful work by the architect. Actually, Casa Vicens was the first emblematic building created by Antoni Gaudí.
If you want to keep discovering other touristic places in Barcelona, we recommend you to read the post 20 (touristic) places to see in Barcelona.